Different Events
by Kagome-reincarnation
Summary: What happens when his world falls to pieces right before his eyes? Parental Roy/Ed.
1. Prologue

Edward Elric was still young. He was young and strong. He'd yet to find the stone, and he'd lost his brother long before. Al's seal had been destroyed before they could even consider bringing themselves to commit the atrocities that were necessary to make the Philosopher's Stone. Ed had been destroyed over the sudden loss. He'd expected Alphonse to outlive him for quite a few reasons.

Al was younger than him, and better defended. Al was the one that thought before throwing himself into dangerous situations. Al had only one real weakness, and it was a hassle for most people to even find it, since the knowledge itself was actually known to only the better alchemists. Regular citizens and bandits wouldn't have a clue. Al was no longer made of flesh and bone. It meant that it was really, really hard to break the body that he'd been placed in. The only thing most people had to worry about was hurting his feelings. Even bullets ricocheted off of him.

And yet, he was gone. The soul itself had been sent into the Gate. There was no longer a way for Ed to get him back.

And Edward Elric had never felt so alone.

* * *

"Bastard." he declared to the crisp air. It was early in the morning, and he could feel the chill deep in his chest as he inhaled.

He was at the cemetery again. It was the same one that housed the remains of Trisha Elric in Resembool. He no longer had a body to put into the grave, so he'd placed the armor in there. Alone. He hadn't even returned to Central, yet. He'd gone straight home, bringing back the carefully packaged pieces of armor back with him. He hadn't told Winry, or even Grandma Pinako that he'd come back. Instead, he'd gone to the cemetery with the armor. There, he'd dug a grave for his little brother. It was six feet deep. He'd dug it by hand, and had made sure to make an incline so he could get out as well. Then, he'd unwrapped the pieces of armor and had placed them in the large hole, arranging them so that it looked as if the armor was whole.

He hadn't cried the whole time. When he placed the torso, though, he caught a glimpse of where his blood seal had once been. He'd choked, then, before quickly putting it down. When he'd finished, he'd used alchemy to cover the armor, the remains of Alphonse Elric, now placed next to Trisha Elric.

Now, with dirt caked on his clothes and nails, and with damp clods of it in his hair, he knelt over the grave and spoke again.

"Bastard." he choked out, his feigned appearance of strength starting to diminish. "Why'd you go and get in his way like that? I could've taken the damned blow. I could've just gotten another automail arm. But now, you're gone. Dammit, Al! you bastard!"

And with that, he lost it, crying in a heap between the graves of the only two people in the world he considered family.

* * *

AN: Remember? He doesn't think of Hohenheim as family at all. If anything, he wants to beat the crap out of his "Dad". And to be honest, I have no idea where this even came from. Usually I'd have at least an outline or something, but I've got zilch. So now, I'm pretty much going off the top of my head. Gah. Reviews and ideas will be much appreciated! 


	2. Retrieval

He'd already evaded three different officers, all of whom had come to take him back to Central. He hadn't recognized any of them from the officers that he'd actually met, but he knew they had come to retrieve him since they had been asking around about a (dare he say it)short kid with a red jacket. He had good friends, so they hadn't given him away. At least, not to any of the officials with the state alchemist pocket watches.

"What do you want?" he asked the man before him. It was obvious that they'd given up sending the tougher, more obvious people after him. Like cheaters, the jerk and his subordinates had sent someone weaker- someone that he'd feel bad about leaving to his own devices.

He sighed, almost in regret. He'd known that someone would have to come after him; the rules were the rules for a reason. However, Ed also hadn't expected them to send someone so quickly. Nor had he thought he'd be so easy to track down.

"Um, well the colonel says that your report is late… I was told to bring you back." the gentle man said. Master Sergeant Kain Fuery could hardly drag an accredited alchemist back to the eastern military headquarters, much less force Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, to Central City, where the main headquarters were.

And they both knew it.

"Alright, who planned this?" Ed scowled, irritated. He'd wanted to run a little longer- he wasn't prepared to face reality just yet. "Second Lieutenant Breda? Second Lieutenant Havoc? Or was it just that jerk who came up with this brilliant idea of his?"

"Actually, you were right the first time. It was Lieutenant Colonel Breda that came up with the plan, but it was Colonel Mustang that ordered him to get someone to bring you back. It caused quite a bit of chaos in the headquarters since everyone was too afraid to come after you." Fuery admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "The colonel says that he'd normally leave you be, especially right now, but he thinks you want to see this… I'm not sure what he's referring to, but there's a bit of a mess in Central right now.

Ed flinched. So Mustang had been aware of it the whole time. "That frickin-?!" he fumed for a moment, almost as if for show, before slowly nodding. "Alright. I'll go back with you."

He hadn't been gone long enough to warrant an MIA, and since Roy had known all along, the only inquiries he'd be facing were from the colonel, and maybe he'd be dealing with questions from Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye for a bit. "Maybe I can stay with Lieutenant Colonel Hughes for a bit then."

The Master Sergeant nodded, before going on to say, "Please get ready to leave as soon as possible. We should probably head back soon."

Ed sighed, and grabbed his red coat. It wasn't like he had a lot to pack, since he'd taken to transmuting the things he needed from the stuff around him lately.

"Let's go, then." He said, motioning towards the door with his free hand.

"Er," Fuery blinked. He wasn't used to such readiness. There was a moment of awkward silence, and he nodded, not wanting to question Ed, especially since he couldn't see Al anywhere. He'd thought that Ed would at least hunt the larger brother down. "Right."

"I guess I won't be coming back here for a while." Ed said, locking the door with an expression akin to regret on his face. "Let me just go and give the key to the innkeeper, and we can go."

This meant they'd be taking the two o'clock train west to Central.

* * *

AN: This time, I'm trying more for short, but more constant updates. Obviously, trying to put up long chapters in a set amount of time isn't working for me. -sigh- Well, here's the first official chapter. It's shortness pains me... But it's not like I can actually compare it to anything else. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. 


	3. Meeting

"Edward Elric has been brought in as ordered." Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye reported in, saluting as she entered the room.

"Fullmetal?" Mustang grinned in anticipation. "Send him in."

"Sir!" Riza acknowledged his order, boot heels clicking together, before she opened the door to call the young alchemist. She hesitated a moment, before shutting the door again, not yet ready to call the teenage alchemist. With the door in between herself and the blonde boy, she could pretend she didn't know.

"Yes?" Roy inquired, curious. Did she have another reason for returning? He knew something was wrong- now that he thought about it, his second-in-command wasn't acting normally.

"Er..." she breathed in deeply. "Alphonse isn't with him."

At once, Roy Mustang experienced the same sinking feeling of dread in his gut that Hawkeye felt.

"I see..." he said, his demeanor serious. "Send him in."

"What do you want, Roy?" Ed asked the elder man tiredly. He hadn't even bothered with saluting or standing and had immediately plopped down on the plush office couches that were supplied by the military.

Roy toyed with the idea of making Ed leave and come back, this time properly, but decided against it.

"Six months of no contact, Ed." he said, serious.

"Did you miss me that much?" the blonde asked sarcastically. "Cut the crap, colonel. We've gone longer without contact. What do you want? Obviously the story you sent master Sergeant Fuery with was just that- a story."

"Where's Al, Fullmetal?" Roy asked suddenly, doing just as Ed had demanded.

The teen flinched, looking away, silent.

Roy frowned. He hadn't gotten all the details in the report he'd received. All it said was that Al had disappeared. Now, he wondered if Hughes had glossed the report over because he felt the need to respect Ed's privacy. Either that, or this time, whatever the situation was, it must've been big to separate the brothers.

"I'll ask you again, Fullmetal." he said, "Wher-"

"It's none of your business." Ed growled out. "He's not one of the military's dogs."

"Who says it's the military that wants to know?"

"It's none of your business either."

"What happened, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, his voice less demanding, taking on the honey-coat of a friend who inquires about a friend.

Ed remained silent for a couple of minutes, gathering his thoughts. Roy let him. If he pushed too much, somehow, he got the feeling that the small teenage boy before him would break.

* * *

AN: Well, this was certainly quicker than I thought, but it's only like what, four hundred some words? At least the updates are coming. -sigh-


	4. Attempted Explanation

"It was an ambush." he whispered, eyes glazed over in pain at the memory. "The knew about Al. They were ready for him. It didn't even take long. Maybe thirty seconds. I was trapped." A hard shudder ran through his small body, and Roy guessed he could see liquid gathering in the boy's eyes.

"I had just come into the room- I was asking around about the... about the..." he couldn't bring himself to say the accursed words. Not when the hope the object that had once brought the brothers hope had been so brutally ripped away with Al's death.

Roy frowned. "Just keep going." he said, encouraging the boy. Obviously, Ed was upset. Anything that had to do with Al, particularly the Philosopher's Stone, was off limits.

"I came into the room, and they were everywhere." the boy tried to swallow his pain. "One of them grabbed me. Caught me by surprise. Pinned me. Couldn't move." His eyes went dark with pain, and Roy raised a hand to stop the words. Apparently, Ed couldn't handle it just yet.

"Enough." Roy ordered the teenager. He saw Ed was obviously distressed. The colonel frowned.

He'd dealt with many facets of Ed; angry, happy, sly, lying- the list went on and on.

He'd seen Ed in pain and knew that he could take a lot. He'd seen Ed in the rain, head bowed, and angry with himself and the world. Mustang hadn't been sure, because of the rain, but he'd thought Ed was crying.

Now, though, he wasn't sure of what he was dealing with. Certainly, tears were slipping down his face, crossing over lean cheeks to fall in droplets into the folds of the red jacket the blonde held on his lap. Roy started when he saw the trembling in the blonde's hands. Ed had only trembled in anger. At least, that's what Roy had thought.

The eyes of Edward Elric were wide open, unseeing, and clouded with pain.

No. Roy thought. Not just pain. There's fear in there too.

He passed a hand in front of unseeing eyes. When he didn't get a response, he frowned. He wasn't any good in or for situations like these. The colonel stood, fully intending on calling Riza or someone else to deal with the blank body before him, but when he moved away, he peripherally saw the Fullmetal Alchemist flinch.

Surprised, he turned back to the boy, but he was being as unresponsible as ever. He shrugged and blamed the flinch on his imagination. He mentally shrugged, uneasy, and moved to the door. Opening it, he found Riza just outside.

He opened his mouth to ask her to help, but when she turned to face him, he nearly meeped. She looked furious.

* * *

AN: Oo next chapter came up pretty fast. If I wanna keep this up, I need to start writing more! And the good news is that if I get obsessed enough, I'll be writing longer chapters with the same time between updates! So, please review! It makes me wanna write when you do! 


	5. Responsibility

"You!" Riza Hawkeye ground out. She knew this man's personality well enough to scold him before he asked. Normally, she'd acquiesce to his wishes, this time, she had to put her foot down. HE was the one responsible for sending the brothers on the mission. HE was the one that had brought them into the tangles of the military. HE was the one that had ordered Ed to be brought back. HE was the one who had wanted to toy with the boy's feelings. So now, HE would be the one to take care of him.

"You?" confused, Roy dumbly echoed her, before blinking. "Wait, me?"

"Yes, you!" Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye frowned. "I know what you're thinking, but if you don't turn around and take care of that boy right this instant, I can promise that I'll make you regret it."

"Er, weren't you the one who was worried about him?" Roy asked, swallowing. Riza was obviously no longer depressed.

"That boy is only fifteen, going on sixteen." Lieutenant Colonel Hawkeye pinned the Colonel with her gaze. "You're responsible for taking him away from the only family he had left, and now for bringing him into something that took his brother. Roy Mustang, you're the one that's breaking that boy, and if you don't fix it, you'll be sorry."

He flinched at her glare, effectively killing all of his protests.

"You're taking responsibility for once, Colonel Mustang." she said. "You started his tears, and now, you'll stop them."

Her words were set in stone now, and there was nothing he could do. He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck.

"But what can I do?" he asked her, refusing to whine. "I've never dealt with this kind of thing before."

"Well, then, isn't it time you learned for yourself?" she glared at him. Her hand moved to her gun, warning him.

Oh, it warned him alright. He straightened up, and turned back to the room of hell. How on earth would he get this figured out?

* * *

AN: Such a short chapter. Since I usually write longer ones(barely), this depresses me. -sigh- Well, the next one will be longer for sure!


	6. Work

"Work for me." Roy said, hands folded together on his desk.

"I already do." Ed responded, amused. "Or did you forget that it was you that brought me here?"

The colonel mentally winced at the invisible accusation hidden in Ed's words.

"That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?

"Don't work under me. Work for me."

"What's the difference?" the teenager asked, leaning back into the sofa, arms crossed over his chest.

Roy thought quickly. What _did_ that mean? Then, without any thought behind them, words spilled out of his mouth.

"Leave the military." He said. "Be my partner."

Ed frowned, a bit confused. "Be your partner." He echoed. Then, he said, "Isn't that the same as working under you? Not to mention that I'd need to find another source of income."

"I'll pay you." Mustang said all too quickly. Honestly, where were these words coming from? Sure, he couldn't leave Ed alone just yet, but a partnership? That would bind them. How would they even get it to work?

"It's not like I don't get enough pay. Even without the annual research funds allotted to me, I can afford for you to live with me, and comfortably. Living expenses, and all; work _with_ me and you don't have to worry about the military- you could take a break, and just relax for a bit."

Ed frowned, suspicious. "So, what do you get out of this?" Was the raven-haired man doing it for him or for personal gain?

"Six less bullets to the head." Roy responded smartly.

_Personal gain, then._ he thought, snorting. _So he doesn't want to deal with me. It doesn't matter._ "Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be a dog of the military a little longer. The assessment date is coming up soon, anyways, isn't it?"

The blonde stood languidly, stretching. "How am I going to explain this to Winry?" he mused, turning to leave. He didn't want to leave- he dreaded leaving. It meant that he'd have to go somewhere again, and that was getting hard, too. It reminded him of traveling with Al.

He didn't notice the Flame Alchemist moving, silently, and at an alarmingly fast pace.

He did notice, though, when the door he'd just opened was jerked from his grasp to slam with the force of Mustang's weight.

Eyes wide with surprise, he slowly turned back, only to be face to face with the older alchemist's chest.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded of the larger man.

"Work for me, Fullmetal." Roy said down to the teen. "Or you'll have no choice but to give your report."

Ed flinched at the mention. Then he mentally swore as Roy smirked. Mustang was right. If he stayed with the military, he had to give his report- it was a rule. He thought back to his previous attempt, and sighed. At least the option had been left open to him.

"Fine. You win. I'll work for you." He said, hands raised in surrender.

* * *

AN: See? Told ya it'd be longer!  



	7. Moving In

"You can sleep here." Roy said gruffly, opening yet another door. It revealed a well furnished room- bed, dresser, closet, desk, chair, table and other things. "The bathroom's down the hall, and don't ever go into the room with the double doors."

"Yeah, yeah." Ed groaned. How had he gotten into this? Oh, yeah- he'd been threatened. Stupid Mustang. "I've been here before, you jerk. I know where everything is, and I still remember the rules." he said, rolling his eyes.

"So much for staying with Hughes."

Roy rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tiniest morsel of guilt. The tiniest. "Yeah, yeah." he mimicked Ed. "Stop complaining. You'll have plenty of time off anyways."

"Thanks to YOU." Ed accused the man.

"Well, yes, but it's better for you in the long run." Roy said, unaffected. "Now, why don't you change? I'll be back in a bit an we can drop by Riza's- she invited us for dinner." And with that, he shut the door behind him and traipsed away.

Ed waited before the footsteps died down before swearing. "That jerk!" he growled at the door his new employer had just shut. He knew Roy hadn't wanted to hire him- Hawkeye had forced him into it. The blonde frowned.

"I said it was fine, thought." he murmured, eyebrows drawn together, thoughtfully. It was true. He'd rejected Roy's offer, but Roy had bullied him into it. Even though he'd had the chance to get out of it. Ed frowned. Is he pitying me?

He shook his head and sighed. He didn't have any of his own clothes to change into- he hadn't been carrying anything. Roy wasn't so oblivious that he wouldn't see that. Which means he's got something here for me to where already.

He glanced at the the window. The shadows were moving quickly. The alchemist frowned. He didn't like charity, and he rarely dressed up. Still, since it was Hawkeye, and she rarely asked for anything, he felt he owed it to her. Mentally wincing, he made his way over to the closet.

* * *

AN: Gah! Short again! Don't know why, but the italics weren't working with me this time... :sweat:  



	8. Get Together

"What a nice surprise!" Riza smiled warmly at the two smartly dressed boys before her. She almost fixed the word in her mind to "males", but she remembered how Roy acted most of the time, and left it be.

Hawkeye could tell that Ed was uncomfortable, but she was happy that he'd come at all.

"Come in, come in." she said, ushering them into her home. "The others are already here."

"Others?" Roy inquired, like a dog hearing a cat.

"Of course! You didn't think you'd be the only ones, right?" she said cheerily, knowing she'd crushed him yet again. "Warrant Officer Falman, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, Second Lieutenant Havoc, Second Lieutenant Breda, Major Sergeant Fuery, Major Armstrong, Second Lieutenant Ross, and Sergeant Brosh." she stopped and thought for a moment. "I think that's about it. I guess it really is a military party, isn't it?" She chuckled and opened the dining room door, not noticing Ed flinch at the mention of military.

But Roy saw.

"You alright?" Roy asked, not unkindly.

"I'm fine." Ed said shortly. He edged away, only to be attacked by Hughes.

"Ed, I've been looking for you!" the man said, beaming. "My Gracia's been saying you should come by for dinner sometime soon!"

"Er, right." Ed agreed, without thinking, having been taken by surprise. Before he could amend  
his mistake, he found himself being whipped around and hugged. CONSTANTLY.

Roy visibly winced at the treatment he saw his ward going through. The blonde was being passed from person to person, each trying to cheer him up in their own... rather unique, ways. While he couldn't be sure if it was working or not, he could tell that Ed wasn't depressed- for the moment, anyways, and that was worth something. He wasn't being as loud as usual, but at least he wasn't back in his quiet, broken looking state.

"He'll be fine." Riza said, sitting down next to him.

"Thanks." Roy replied. He was grateful she'd hosted the supposed dinner-turned-party.

"For what?" she asked him, feigning innocence. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" he nodded as he watched Ed being hit on the back, courtesy of Sergeant Brosh.

"You should take him home." the lieutenant colonel noted.

"It does seem we should leave, doesn't it?" Then, growling as he saw Havoc offer Ed some beer, he jumped to his feet and roared. "Nothing illegal, dammit! You're not the one that'll be dealing with Ed drunk!"

The laid back man only shrugged, turning to another officer and chugging the beer that he'd offered.

"Come on, Fullmetal." he called for the teen. "Time to go home."

The boy shook himself from his reverie. Jumping from his chair, he grabbed his coat.

"Yeah, yeah." he sighed. "Guess I still follow orders, eh?" Now that he thought about it, he had to admit that he was glad that he was being protected. He was tired of protecting, and he was tired of working so mechanically.

* * *

AN: Sorry for the delay. Thanksgiving and all that jazz. Bleh. 


	9. Month

A month went by in this way, with Ed doing errands and other things for Roy, and with Roy making sure Ed didn't do anything stupid. Somehow, they'd come to a comfortable, unspoken agreement.

"Ed, have we got any milk?" Roy called from the kitchen. It was his turn to make dinner- a weekend. Ed cooked dinners during the week and breakfast during the weekends, while Roy simply inversed the process. Sometimes, when they ate lunch together, they cooked the meal up together, but there were times when they ate separately.

Ever since Ed had moved in, the mess the colonel had called a home had become clean, and organized.

"Check the door!" Ed called back. He was in the library, going over texts regarding Roy's snap-fire alchemy. Since Roy was useless in the rain, Ed was trying to find a way to make a glove that would work with water and ice. Of course, it meant he'd be forcing Roy to do a bit of studying, but even so, it would be worth it. If not the liquid itself, Roy could command the acidity of the rain, because of his bond with fire and other things that burned.

"Found it!" Roy shouted, shaking his concentration again. Instead of responding this time, he simply bent his head over his work again.

Vaguely, he heard footsteps, then realized with a start that Roy was talking to him, a milk carton in hand. He glared at the carton before looking at the colonel.

"What?" he blinked, having missed what his employer had said.

Roy sighed, leaning casually against the door frame. "I asked if you realized you're wasting your time."

"Excuse me?" the blonde demanded, hackles raised at the insinuation.

Blinking, Roy responded. "Even if it's raining, I've got Riza working as my bodyguard, and I've got you on top of that."

"We're not always going to be there." Ed snapped, returning to his work. They got along well, but not _that_ well.

"But since it's me, I'll always be fine." Roy said, grinning smugly. Ed was itching to slap that expression off of his face.

"Ass." Ed said, working on his texts again.

"Why, thank you." Roy said, grinning more broadly. "I know I'm sexy, but thanks all the same."

Ed sputtered, turning bright red, before throwing a book at the man. "Out! Out, out, out! OUT!"

* * *

AN: Here ye goes.  
Oh, and I love my reviewers.


	10. Beginnings

At dinner that night, Ed still hadn't spoken to him once. It was starting to get irritating. Especially since Ed had made him a sandwich for dinner. A sandwich. Of course, had it been just a sandwich, it wouldn't have been so bad- it wasn't so different from what he used to do when he was too tired to fix himself something healthier.

But the sandwich... Ed had put the strangest things in the sandwich. There was a hunk of cheese- not a slice, but a hunk-, tomatoes that seemed to be more juice than solid, lettuce that was almost a month old, and ham that looked like it had been dragged through something brown... And on top of that, his sandwich smelled like a cross between something burning and marshmallows.

Colonel Roy Mustang, a colonel that commanded quite a few people, looked at the sandwich and flinched.

Instead of saying anything to the man, Ed kept ignoring him, getting more and more irritated by the minute. Instead, he poured a glass of pomegranate juice, which the colonel _hated_ with a passion, and simply handed the glass to the man before slamming the sandwich plate on the table. He'd given the man a good, hard glare and turned away, heading straight for the library.

The colonel stared at the blonde's retreating back before grinning, suddenly. _He's just like a miffed woman._ he thought. After all, having dated so many women, he'd know wouldn't he? Then, he frowned. Thinking of women made him remember how dissatisfied he'd been with each date. He sighed. He never did find what he'd been missing, and it _had_ been a while. _Maybe I'll ask Riza to the ball this year._ he considered, turning the idea over in his head.

The military's annual Christmas ball was always something to look forward to. This was where soldiers were rewarded for another year's hard work with gifts on the way out, entertainers hired by the military, the great spread of food, and so much more. Roy grinned. It was also the one time that soldiers could invite people that weren't family members to a military event.

_This ought to be interesting._ he thought, grinning as he thought of the coming celebration.

Elsewhere, in the library, Ed was grinning as he scanned the page once more, just to make sure that he hadn't misread it. "Perfect..." he murmured, satisfied. He'd figured out the main components in the glove that he'd need to make it. Though it was very complicated. He read over the list that he'd made once more.

Suddenly, he frowned. It felt like something was missing. Going over it a third time, he realized that it wasn't something he was sure of, but something that he felt. Like something was wrong, and the glove that he made would have something bad in it. It was a strange feeling. He shuddered, before slipping the page into a textbook and quickly shutting it.

"Later, then..." he said. _Now, revenge..._ he thought, thinking about the meal he'd prepared for Roy. He'd eaten his own dinner in the kitchen- a quick, but tasty pasta. _Phase one is done- not talking to him and giving him strange food. Next phase... Make him uneasy. Fun._

Edward Elric grinned, almost evilly. For the first time in far over a month, he felt truly alive.

* * *

AN: What chapter is this, ten? Oo That's a scary number... But it means that this short story business is definitely more successful than longer chapters. Gah. 


	11. Gone

The next morning, Ed was nowhere in sight. At first, Roy had shrugged it off, telling himself that Ed had gone for groceries. The house felt empty. He shook himself and started breakfast, thinking, _Two can play at that._

He refused to go through the house calling for the blonde; it would be like admitting that he was losing. Roy Mustang simply didn't lose. Ever. He also refused to search for the teen. Instead, Roy decided to spend the whole day in the library, looking over his notes for the coming assessment day. It wasn't too far off, but he wasn't worried. With Ed's help, he'd quickly managed to gather his materials with time to spare.

Today would be a good time to get his project finalized. He frowned each time his thoughts wandered back to Ed, and let himself fall into the chair that the short teen had been using the day before. He sighed as he raised the chair seat to match his height. _Ed's just too short..._ he thought, before promptly getting irritated with himself for thinking about the boy yet again.

"_Anyways_..." he said, loudly- it was too quiet, and he was no longer used to the quiet- Ed had taken care of that.

An hour later, he threw down his pen, irritated. He'd gotten very little done, and Ed had yet to come home. He sighed and began sifting through the papers once more. He'd gotten them mixed up again.

As he lifted a stack of said files, a sheaf of papers slipped from his grasp, scattering across the room the way that paper did. He groaned and set the stack down, before gathering the papers. When he'd gathered them all, he looked through them, until he found the page that had the number at the bottom indicating that it was the first.

_Roy- this is a bit of extra research I did. It'll be useful for your assessment. It's information on making alchemic items. The basis for the idea is from the pocket watches that the military issues to certified state alchemists. I figured that there had to be some sort of secret imbued since no one has yet managed to make items relating to alchemy, and yet the pocket watches can enhance the ability of an alchemist. There's some more in depth information in the files that I've listed. They're cross-referenced and everything, so it should be easy for you to get through them._

That was as far as the colonel got before he realized that Ed had used women's names instead of the plain out, actual words. He blinked, surprised. Then, he grinned.

"That little twerp broke my code!" he exclaimed. "This isn't even in travelogue!"

More cheerful now, he took the papers Ed had written and went to the kitchen. Pouring water for his coffee, he read the next couple of sentences.

_I set this up with a table of contents- that's right, I know how bad you can be with things like this, especially since you're always dropping files. You're still too used to Hawkeye or the others carrying them for you._

Roy grinned, good natured, as he swore at the boy. Turning up the heat on the stove, he continued reading.

_Don't set this on fire, either; I worked hard on this, and it benefits you more than me, since you're actually going to be graded on it._

Roy smirked. "Damned smart, Ed, damned smart."

And just like that, he became absorbed in his work once more.

Ed still hadn't come home.

* * *

AN: Okay, I'm really sorry for the delay. I finally got my notebooks back, and I typed this all up, only to find out that it got deleted.I figured it was a one time thing and typed it up again, and uploaded it- at least, I thought I did. It turns out, when I typed up the next chapter, I had deleted the file, and hadn't yet uploaded it. So, here's two at once. Sorry for the delay. -sigh- 


	12. Leaving

_I hope he found the research,_ Ed thought, looking up at the large house before him. He wanted to go in again- his fingers itched to start the unusually extravagant lunch that he'd planned out to make that day.

But now... Now, Ed couldn't go home again. He'd been handed a note at the market- rather, it had been slipped into his pocket.

_"You are my target. Tell no one." _ it had said.

There had been no signed name, but those were the most dangerous- people that didn't yet have names for themselves made far more noise and were often unpredictable because they intended to claw their way up the chain of criminal activities.

Besides that, it meant Roy would be in danger, too. As much as he bickered with the colonel, that couldn't happen. And because he wasn't sure of the enemy's abilities, he also couldn't rely on the colonel. And so, he left home.

Of course, he had no idea where to go. He didn't want to get anyone hurt- not again- so he'd deal with the problem himself. _Central,_ he thought. _I'll go to Central City._

Central was a busy place, but there were plenty of places to fight or to confront this new enemy. Either way, it was safer. Granted, it would still be difficult- there were more people there, but there was also, with people, more buildings, and thus, more side streets.

_And more opportunities,_ his mind told him. _You're just afraid._

Ed frowned. It was true. He was afraid, but he didn't know why he was afraid, or even of what. He wasn't afraid of being hurt, or even of dying. He felt it was a just punishment for letting Al die. He'd managed to hide it well- his guilt, his pain, his regret, and his self-hatred- but he still felt the burn of Al's death. The blame was solely on him; his shoulders alone would carry the weight of his brother's death. First he'd taken Al's body, and then, he'd taken Al's soul.

_So what is it?_ he questioned himself. He pondered the matter for a while, but finally had to admit to himself that didn't know. The only thing that he felt was remotely possible was something he'd deal with when it happened. Would Al blame him for the pain that he'd put him through?

Thinking on it, he realized that it could easily be what he was afraid of. Satisfied with that, he simply let it be.

He turned away from the large house- Roy's house- and headed for the train station. There, he met into someone he'd thought was safely at home.

"Ed! What're you doing here?"

* * *

AN: Sorry, it got shorter by about three hundred or so words. 


	13. Dangerous

AN: Okay, first comes an apology. I haven't been keeping up with the fast, but short updates, like I said I would. There are reasons for this- family issues have come up, and all kinds of stuff. Thank you to my readers that didn't complain. I mean, I know it's not worth complaining over, anyways, but thanks all the same. I tried to make this chapter longer than usual, but then I'm going to take a break over winter break and start writing for Different Events in January, on the second. I'm sorry, but please do keep reading.

* * *

Roy was finally done. It had taken him a week, but he'd finally completed his work for the assessment date. For seven days, he'd worked constantly, even coming home early in order to complete the manifestation of his works. He hadn't though of searching for Ed once, if only because the commentary in the papers that he'd left behind made it feel as if he were right there with him.

Mustang had even forgotten that Ed had left, in a way, thinking that he'd be going home to him, in the papers. So when Roy finished successfully passed the assessment with a major raise and days off, it was a shock for him to come home and realize that Ed was gone.

Forgetting that he'd planned on "winning," he called for the boy, then contacted Riza, asking where Ed could've possibly gone.

"Isn't he with you?" she'd asked, confused.

"No- he's been gone for about a month now."

"Then why are you just now searching for him?" she demanded. "Everyone thought he was just staying at home for a while- you wouldn't stop talking about how he was helping with your research! And wouldn't he have said something if he was leaving on his own?"

Roy blinked. "Shit. The only time Ed ever keeps his quiet when he's doing something is when it's something bad."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?"

"Where would you go if you were in some form of danger, or thought you were?"

"Central- plenty of places to attack first." she responded immediately. She'd always obeyed his "command" voice. "Sir?"

"Riza I'm going on paid vacation- call in for me, will you?" he requested. "I've got the rank and the days for a couple of months. Put one week's worth in immediately, and keep adding on another week until I come back. I'll call again once I get to Central."

"Of course." she said, and then, after a pause, "I'm coming with you."

Without any hesitation, he shot her offer down. "No! I've got too many things to worry about as it is."

He hung up with his second in command and grabbed a bag of clothes. His wallet was still in his pocket, and he had more than enough to get there and come back, boy in hand.

Suddenly, he stopped all movement.

_Why do I want him to come back so badly...?_ he asked himself. _I got along just fine before he came._

And his mind supplied an answer for him: _He's _yours._ He's your property, and he's in danger. That's a threat to you._

He stopped that train of thought right where it was and locked the door on the way out.

_It doesn't matter why!_ he thought to himself. _Ed's in danger!_

* * *

Ed had been surprised to run into her, but Winry, it seemed, had been picking up a rather important package for Grandma Pinako.

"What're you doing here, Ed?" she asked him, curious. Guilt welled up in his chest, and he nearly choked before he spoke.

"I'm on the job. You?" he finally managed to get out.

"The idiots didn't get it to the right house last time, so I came to pick up the pieces- Den's leg is acting up, so we're trying to go with a lighter prosthetic." she responded, shrugging. Then, glancing around him, she asked, "Where's Al?"

Those two words, so innocent, and yet so heavy- he forced himself to look her in the eye. "Winry, when you get back home, can you place two of my Mom's favorite flowers on her grave?"

She was taken aback- what a sudden conversation change. "Um, sure." she checked the time. "Ah! I've gotta go! I'm about to miss my train!"

And with that, Winry ran off, pondering Ed's strange words. Where was Al?

Around the same time Roy realized Ed was gone, the boy was at a bar, hidden at a corner table. He was drinking water, since he refused to drink alcohol. He was watching for a man in a black raincoat with a strange mustache. He'd caught sight of the person often in the past month, and now, he was trying to lure the man out. After all, why would anyone wear a black raincoat in the warm season?

Suffice to say, the man was on his list of suspects.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Ed didn't realize that someone had approached his table.

The woman finally clapped her hands together just in front of his face to get his attention. Jumping slightly, he nearly fell, surprised.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. Then, blinking, he realized what must've happened. "Oh, sorry. Can I help you with something?"

"Have you seen a ring around here?" she asked him. She looked worried. Blue eyes, blonde hair- the typical stereotype for women with history. "It's made of silver with a ruby set into it."

Ed glanced over the area quickly. "No, I don't see it. Sorry, miss. Was it very important?"

She looked distraught. "It's my engagement ring. I took it off for just a second, and now I can't find it!" she cried out.

The boy got to his feet. "I'll ask the bartender, so why don't you just wait here?" he suggested, pulling a chair out for her.

She nodded, sniffling slightly as he headed for the bar.

It took a couple of minutes to both get the bartender's attention and to explain the situation, but in the end, she shook her head. She hadn't seen any such rings, and Ed returned to his table to let the nervous bride-to-be know of his fruitless search.

"Well?" she asked, anxiously.

"I'm sorry." he said. "The bartender hasn't seen anything either."

"Oh." the hopeful expression on her face seeped away and she became quite solemn. "Oh."

"Er, why don't you get some water? Or do you want something stronger?" Ed offered, unsure of what to do. Emotional women were dangerous.

"No, no, I'll get it myself." she shook her head. "But would you mind taking me home later? I intend on getting very drunk, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get home by myself."

Ed held back a sigh and nodded, resigning himself to the job. He'd have to put off his own search.

He sat down as she ordered so very strong liquor and took a sip of his water. He asked her a few questions, such as where she had been that day, or who else she'd been with. She answered each of his questions, but she seemed to be getting a tad bit tipsy.

The last question he remembered asking was, "What color was the ring?" to which she'd answered, "Gold."

But he'd had no time to question the sudden change because his world went black and he felt himself fall to the floor with a slight thud.

_What...?_


	14. Progress

Roy wasn't pleased at all when he saw just who it was that had come to greet him when he arrived in Central.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded angrily. He'd been sure that he'd left this particular male back at the headquarters of East City.

Hughes lifted his hands as if to show he meant no harm. "Calm down, Roy," he said, tone serious. Everyone knew that Hughes was constantly talking about his daughter, but now, his tone was serious. That meant something big had gone down.

"What happened?" Roy asked immediately, tone just as serious. "And where should we go to talk?"

So it was that a few hours later, the Flame Alchemist was pacing back and forth in the hotel room that he and his friend and procured for himself. "What the hell do you mean?!"

Growling, he finally glared at the messenger of such bad tidings. "How much information do you have?"

Hughes sighed, knowing that it would have come to this. "Your lover's been taken by the ring, too."

That, of course, caused Roy to blink, utterly confused. "Lover?" he asked, sounding like something of an idiot.

Maes frowned. "What, are you kidding me? You've had him in your house for what, two months now, and you haven't gotten around to screwing him yet?"

The connection was made and Roy nearly yelped in surprise. "I-it's not like that!" he said, speaking quickly. "And it's been six weeks, the last four in which he was here!"

"Still, even two weeks?" Hughes asked, skeptical.

Roy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I said it wasn't like that." He was surprised to hear his voice was tinged with regret. His friend looked at him strangely, but, to his relief, put the topic out of his mind.

"Anyways, he's also been taken. Apparently, he's beautiful enough to work for the males." Hughes said, frowning a tad. "When my informant asked why he wouldn't be paired with females, the only thing that they said was something along the lines of him being too young for the ladies to get any fun out of it. And since he's male, no matter how young he is, if it's a girl, he could take advantage of her and run."

Roy growled, unconsciously. "Certainly, he's beautiful." He admitted, bringing a hand to his chin. "But to force that kind of beauty to be a sex toy?"

Maes looked at Roy suspiciously, before saying abruptly, "You're in love with him."

The alchemist blinked, having been taken completely by surprise. "What?"

"Don't try to deny it." Hughes said, before starting a list. "Every time his name's come up in a conversation, your eyes get all light and fuzzy, and you smile a bit, and he's in danger now, but instead of acting like someone who's worried for a friend, or even a family member, you're acting more like a male who's ready to kill over your girlfriend. Not to mention, you're starting to wear the carpet thin, and I'm willing to bet that you know Ed's habits almost better than he does."

Roy blinked. "But that's-!" He tried to think of a response- to find some sort of falsehood in his friend's words, but he failed. Miserably.

He sank into a nearby chair. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm in love…? With someone that's younger than me by what, five, six… maybe ten years?"

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes pinned his longtime friend with a glare. "Stop lying to yourself. You entered the army at what, sixteen? That's around the same time as me, and we were in it from necessity to put down the rebellions. Granted, we got the proper training for it. Ed turned sixteen just a couple weeks ago- two to be exact; same as my daughter- and you're only twenty-nine years old."

"That's still a thirteen year difference." Roy said, sighing. "There's no way this could work. And besides, my priority right now isn't my relationship; it's saving him from that damned slave trading ring."

Maes frowned slightly. "You know, you may want to sort your feelings out first. If something goes wrong, or if he _does _love you, and you throw it in his face over a misunderstanding… You know Ed. He'll take it like a man, and wait for the hurt to grow, and he won't say a word to anyone, even when he finally breaks."

Roy nodded, throat stuck. He _did_ know. He'd seen it happening, and no matter how the boy looked- how beautiful he was when he was hurting, with the tears and all- he didn't want to see him hurting again. The expression certainly made him beautiful, but the reasons behind it were what he disliked.

Realizing that his friend had lost himself in his thoughts, the Lieutenant Colonel stood up, depositing a folder on the table before the two of them. "I'll head back to my room- you go ahead and think. Think long, and think hard, about what you're going to do with Ed when you save him. Because you _will_ save him."

And it was true. Roy would save him, because Roy knew now. He was in love with Edward Elric. There was no other explanation for the warmth he felt when the boy came up in conversation, or when he saw the blonde, or even the way the boy acted. There was no other explanation for the way he changed some of his actions, just because they made the blonde smile.

He frowned. _Shit. I've always been in love with him, haven't I?_

And from the recesses of his mind, he found an answer. _Yes. Yes you have._

* * *

Ed groaned as he woke. He opened his eyes only to squeeze them shut again. The light hurt. It sent piercing attacks straight to his skull, and it _hurt_.

He thought back to what had happened. He'd been talking with the lady, and then he'd fallen unconscious.

_Okay, fine. Where am I now?_

He looked around, this time opening his eyes more cautiously, and saw that he was in different clothes. In fact, that was the first thing he saw, seeing as he was in a mirrored room. Looking around, he saw that all four walls of the room were mirrored, and looking up, he saw the ceiling was as well.

He'd been tied to a pillar in the center of the room- that much was obvious from the soreness in his arms. There was no doubt that he'd been there for quite a while. Just how much time had passed?

Then, he took note of his clothing. He was now in a white button-up shirt, which was half undone, as if whoever had dressed him had been busy as they'd done so, and the jeans he wore were almost as tight as the pants he'd worn as an alchemist, and, if possible, were just as black.

"What the hell…?"

He wasn't worried about his body taking control- that's what it had been doing for god knows how long, as he tried to maintain his steel prosthetics, and such. But he was surprised that it had happened so suddenly.

_Okay, so that means they used a drug. Which would explain why everything hurts right now._

Thinking about it, he found that it was strange. _Why me? Is it the same person who gave me the message? The black coat man? The lady?_

There were too many people for him to suspect. He sighed. Since he'd made no progress in who it was that had brought him here, he figured he may as well try to come up with a way to escape. But first, he'd have to free himself from his bonds.

Because he'd been tied with his arms separated by the rather round and large column, he couldn't use alchemy, and since his clothes were different, it was obvious that he didn't have any weapons on him.

He frowned, staring at his bare right foot. His alchemy was done using a circle made from his hands- all is one, one is all- but who was to say it wasn't possible to do with his feet?

The idea was crazy, but an idea was an idea. And besides, whoever had changed his clothes had seen fit to keep his feet bare. He pressed his feet together, and concentrated. Of course, he failed miserable.

His legs weren't as flexible as his arms were, and it was harder to control power that was so far from the brain. He sighed, and sagged back against the column.

"Uncomfortable?"

His head came up, shocked. Where had the voice come from? Looking up, he saw a woman before him, but she was different from the lady with the missing ring.

"A little." He said, shrugging. "I've had worse, but I'm starting to lose the blood in my arms."

"I see. Should we relocate you, then?" the lady asked him.

"That's up to you, really." He shrugged again. "But I'd be happier if you could explain what's going on."

She sighed. "Well, I guess that would help, wouldn't it?"

Ed nodded, wondering if she would really explain.

Apparently so.

"You're in danger, so we decided to keep you safe by bringing you here."

He raised an eyebrow. "Tied up? And drugged?" he asked, sarcastic. He had the right to be.

"I didn't know that they'd done that." She admitted.

He sighed. "So there's more than one person that are, apparently, interested in my welfare."

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you any names."

"Could you let me down? I won't run." And it was true. He didn't know where they were, or even what time it was since there were no windows in the room, and there was only the ceiling light to keep things visible.

"Of course, sorry." She apologized, before taking a knife from a pouch on her leg. She took two steps forward, and cut through his bonds, freeing him.

He nearly fell forward, but managed to maintain his balance. Then, he rubbed at each of his arms, and shoulders, feeling sore.

"Okay, now keep talking. And what should I call you?" he asked her.

"Er…" she seemed to be searching for a name. "Oh! Winry."

"Winry." Ed frowned. "You've done research on me, haven't you?" He was a bit unnerved, and more than a little worried.

"My friend found the name from your conversation with the blonde girl at the station about a month ago." She replied, shrugging.

"The man in the black raincoat and strange mustache?"

She winced. "He was that obvious?"

"Well? Keep going. What are you keeping me safe from?"

She frowned. "Not one for small talk, are you?"

He fixed his eyes on her. "Not when I'm in a hurry, no."

"You received a note saying that you were in danger. It also said to tell no one, am I correct?" she paused then, waiting for his response.

"Right." He looked at her suspiciously. "How'd you know about that?"

"An acquaintance of mine dropped it off for me."

Instantly, Ed was on his feet. "What the hell?!" he demanded, outraged. "You'd better explain, and explain fast, lady." He was tense now, no longer as relaxed as he'd been as she'd spoken.

"It's true- you ARE in danger, but we needed to get you away from that man!" she cried out, a bit worried. Perhaps she shouldn't have freed him.

"Miss _Winry_, you'd better explain. What man? And why have you taken it upon yourselves to keep me safe? And from _what_?!"

She spoke quickly now, eying him warily. "The one with the fire in his gloves. We needed to get you away from him. And we're trying to keep you safe because my friend, the same one that planted the note for us, asked us to. From what, we've yet to know."

Ed glared at her. "This is a very strange way of keeping someone safe. And why the hell did you need to get me away from Roy?!"

He'd left home, and Roy, to keep them both safe, only to find the whole damned thing had been a farce? He was only a tad bit pissed.

"I know you're angry, but hear me out, please." She said, eyes serious. "There's a slave trading ring that had their eyes on you- no one knows why."

"Didn't you just say that you didn't know what you were supposed to keep me safe from?" he asked, frowning.

"I must've said it wrong. I meant that we didn't know why we were keeping you safe from them. But then, all we know is that we're keeping you safe from a slave trading ring. We don't know who they are, or whatever else might be involved, so it's still true that we don't know."

Ed sighed. "Right, right. Anyways, why are you keeping me away from Roy?"

She shrugged, slightly. "Not sure. My friend asked me to do that, too."

Ed wanted to hit something. "So who is this _friend_ of yours?" he asked, in a normal tone of voice.

"I can't say anything." The lady said to him, almost regretfully. "But my friend said that this will be for your benefit as well, if only you would work with us."

The blonde groaned. "Great. Okay, fine. What do you want from me?"

She blinked. "Um, just… don't argue…?" she wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. "Pretty much, to live with the situation for a while. I'll assign you an actual room, but you'll have to give me your word that you won't try to escape. I've got some _very_ strong magnets by all the exits. I know steel isn't technically supposed to be bound by the rules, but these will work on steel, too. Particularly automail, so you won't even be able to alter them, even from a distance."

"Fine. I'll stay. How long?" he asked, exasperated. It was starting to look more and more as if he were stuck. Of course, he didn't need to use existing doors to get in and out of a building. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Just until my friend says."

"Look, when's the next time you'll be getting in touch with this friend of yours?" he asked her, frowning.

"I don't get in touch with him- he's usually the one that gets in touch with me." She said honestly, opening the door out of the mirror room.

"Right. Did he say around when the next time he'd contact you was?" he asked, pumping her for information.

"Only that he needed time to… Well, in his words, 'I need to convince that pighead of a colonel, so wait until then, and keep him safe, alright?'"

"The colonel… Mustang?!" Ed made the connection quickly, and then shook his head. "Could it be? There are plenty of other colonels…."

"No, you're right. It was Mustang." She admitted, leading him down the hall. He was relieved to see the hallway was normal, and devoid of mirrors. He was worried about seeing double simply because he kept seeing his reflection.

"But…." Ed didn't understand. "Why?"

"Who knows?" she shrugged. "But this is what he wants, and I owe him favors, so this is what I'll do."

She opened a door, and let him in. It reminded him of his own room. He smiled, softly. We arranged it using the blueprint my friend owes me, so it should be like a second room to you…" she said, before pointing out where the bathroom and kitchen and other places were.

"You can go just about anywhere- just not outside. But if there's something you'd like me to buy, there's a shopping list on the refrigerator downstairs in the kitchen. Just add it to the list, and I'll be sure to get it for you."

He nodded. "I'm guessing I should stay away from the phone?"

"Please do so." She agreed. "Of course, you could make calls, but the location itself is untraceable, thanks to certain strings I've pulled, and you don't know the address, so it should be okay, but nonetheless, please avoid using the phone."

He sighed. "Fine."

She smiled at him. "My friends will be by later. Oh, and you'll be pleased to know that we managed to find that lady's ring."

He looked up, surprised. "Turns out the barkeep wanted to keep it for himself. Thought he could sell it for some money, but my buddy got it back for her."

"Thanks." He wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or not, but it made him feel better to know that the lady had been honest. It was nice to know that _someone_ had been honest, anyways.

"She got home safe, too."

"Thanks, again." He grinned at her.

She seemed surprised, but simply shook her head. "Any requests for dinner?"

He was surprised, but when he glanced at a clock, he saw it was around four in the afternoon. "No, nothing. Go ahead and do your worst."

She grinned. "Don't regret those words later."

"I won't. What day is it?"

"If it's because you're curious, you've been unconscious for two days." And with that, she turned from the door and shut it behind her, heading for, he presumed, the kitchen.

* * *

"What the hell is going on, Hughes?" Roy demanded, angry. "Where's Ed?"

"What, he's not here?" Maes asked, almost innocently.

"No, he's not! And apparently, the leader of the damned organization has no idea who or what Ed is!" Roy bit out, shaking his friend by the collar violently. "And not to mention that when I mentioned the word_alchemist_, he told me that they didn't take alchemists because there's no _telling_ what they'll do!"

"Oh, well, I must've gotten papers mixed up!" Maes said cheerfully, slipping free of his friend's hold. "By the way, have you gotten your feelings figured out?"

Roy turned pink. Quickly. All the way to his neck.

"I guess that means you have." Hughes nodded, thoughtful. "Alright, I'll take you to Ed, but if you're not careful with him, I'm going to hurt you. And while I might've made you understand that you're in love with him, it's still unknown whether or not he knows he loves you. Even if he does. Love you, I mean." Then with an almost nonchalant motion, he gestured towards his car.

"Come on. We're running behind schedule, if I'm correct."

"…You asshole, you had this whole thing staged, didn't you?" Roy accused as he followed after his friend.

The lieutenant colonel shrugged. "What can I say? It was obvious to everyone else that the two of you had the hots for each other- they had bets going on how long it would take for you two to get hitched. And it gave me something to do- something that wasn't full of gory details and bad sentiments."

Roy sighed. "Alright, I can't blame you for that, but I wish you would've told me."

"Why? So you could've run away? Certainly, you wouldn't have just listened to me." Hughes grinned. "You're not as obedient as my dear baby girl. Did I tell you about the time sh-"

Roy glared at him, without holding back a whit of the feeling of impending doom he was giving his fellow soldier. "One more word, Maes, and I will set you on fire."

Hughes sighed. "You're no fun, Roy." He started the engine. "Anyways, it's not too far from here, so just hold on a lil' bit longer, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, just start driving already." Roy scowled.

"Damn have you got it bad." He sniggered, before pulling away from the curb. 

* * *

Twenty minutes, singed hair, and a burnt-to-cinders front door later, Roy was happily stealing the keys from Hughes along with the car, and he drove away from the house that had housed Ed in New Optain, Ed safely in the passenger seat next to him.

Of course, he _had_ taken pleasure in the outraged cries behind him as they drove away.

Then, looking sideways at the blonde, he saw that Ed was looking pointedly out of the window. He'd never done that before. Not when there was someone else there to talk to.

"Ed?" he called softly, worried.

When the boy jumped, startled, he frowned. "Is something wrong?" he asked the blonde.

"No…" Ed was quiet for a few moments. Then- "You're not angry?"

"What?" Roy was a bit dumbfounded. "For what?"

"Because I left. I didn't say anything, and I disappeared." He said, quietly. He felt guilty again. He'd been feeling guilty quite a bit over the past month or so. Of course, Al… Al was his fault. Or at least, that's what he'd thought. Staying with Naomi- the "Winry"- had been helpful in more ways than one.

For one thing, she was motherly, and if anything, that helped him get over Al's death best of all. She'd made him understand that his brother was dead. His existence had only been prolonged with the price of his arm, and there was really nothing else he could do.

Even if he didn't understand, she'd helped him in ways that no other person could have. Except maybe Riza. She had a mothering quality that hovered around her.

He sighed, almost regretfully.

"Do you want me to be angry?" Roy asked the blonde, confused.

"No! No, I don't want you angry." Ed bit his lip, looking at his hands, which were held together in his lap.

"If it makes you feel that bad, just say sorry." Roy said, shrugging a bit. "I was worried, but to be honest, I felt as if you'd never left, since the papers you left for me had so much useful information in them."

Ed looked up, surprised. He'd forgotten about the assessment. Before he could ask, though, Roy grinned at him. "Thanks to your hard work, I got a raise, and extra vacation days. They're thinking about promoting me, too."

The blonde beamed at him. "I'm glad I was so useful."

Roy blinked, nearly blinded. The setting sun fell on Ed's form just right, making him look nearly heavenly. _Woah! Damn you, Hughes, for making me realize my feelings._ Ever since he'd spoken with the lieutenant colonel, he kept thinking about Ed in new ways.

Particularly at night. While he was sleeping. Those were the most memorable "thoughts", and they often gave him quite a bit of grief come morning.

Roy tilted his head backwards a bit, unconsciously trying to fend off a bloody nose.

"Roy?" Ed blinked up at him, almost cutely.

"Er, nothing!"

"You're sure you're alright?" the blonde asked, a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Roy assured the blonde. "Do you want to just swing by the hotel and catch a train home? Or do you want to stay the night and rest up?"

Ed blinked, and then yawned. "Why'd you have to ask?" he sighed. "Now I'm sleepy again!"

"Sorry." Mustang grinned, almost sheepish. "So, which is it? Home today? Or home tomorrow?"

"Home today." Ed nodded. "It's… nice there."

Though the blonde worried if calling Mustang's home his own was alright, but the colonel was pleased. It would be that much easier to bind the blonde to him if the blonde felt at home with him already.

As it was, he would be wide awake for a while yet, so he figured it was alright to go home. That way, he could wake Ed up if he fell asleep on the train. And it meant he'd get to see the boy's sleeping face.

_Why do I keep thinking like some perverted old man…?_ He frowned at his thoughts. He mentally sighed. _Well, when it comes to Ed, for him, I guess there are few things I wouldn't be._

He smiled softly at the boy beside him, though the blonde didn't realize it.

* * *

AN: Happy New Year's! This is the promised chapter- but don't get comfortable. They'll likely be short again after this. Though I'll try to get in the occasional longer chapter. Anyhow, progress at last. Tell me what you think, ne? 


	15. Hesitation

Two weeks later, things had finally settled down. Well, as much as anyone wanted to admit, anyways. There were several reasons it had taken so long, the first having been the cleaning of the mess that Roy had left behind when he'd gone after Ed. Apparently, he'd been working on an assignment, and since he'd left halfway through it, things had gotten rather chaotic.

Or rather, things had been very lax. Security had fallen, and even their constant reports had died down. Some of the spies that he'd sent out on missions had yet to return or report in- he had the sneaking suspicion that they weren't going to be reporting in ever again. He hadn't lied so long ago when he'd told Ed that there was trouble brewing. When he'd gathered information about the boy himself, though, he'd decided to keep him out of it. Now, though, he had no choice.

But at the thought of Ed, his mind wandered once more, scattering all of his thoughts of work and the military.

He'd originally thought he'd been in love with the boy. In fact, he was still convinced of it. However, he had no idea of how to approach it, or even if he wanted to; things were comfortable as they were now, and he was afraid of making them worse if Ed found out that he was in love with him.

He couldn't concentrate on his work, and it was obvious to all of his subordinates.

"Sir!" he heard. Blinking, he glanced up, and realizing that Hawkeye stood before him, he leaned back.

"What is it? Did something happen?" he asked, a bit confused and certainly a bit worried. Had she dug up information about the missing scouts?

"Sir, with all due respect, please leave the building and retire for the night." she said, her voice that of a business woman who knew what she wanted to do and how to get it.

Roy briefly considered the Christmas Ball, but dismissed it. He wanted to see how Ed would take the idea of courtship from him before making any solid decisions.

So when Riza suggested he leave for the day, he was all too happy to take her up on the offer.

"I'll do that then." he said, standing. He held back a yawn and moved to take his jacket from it's rack before slipping his arms into it's sleeves. "Oh, and I don't think I've thanked you for putting me down as on leave in my absence."

"Don't worry about it." Riza shook her head, smiling softly. "Or, if it really bugs you, get Ed to cook and invite me for dinner."

"I'll do that, then." he affirmed, before leaving the room. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't you mean Monday, sir?" she called after him, surprising the colonel. Quickly, he mentally checked over the date.

"You're right..." he said, slowly, relieved. "I'll see you Monday, then. Or sometime over the weekend if you want to come over then. I'll get Ed cooking, so just call."

And with that, he left the building, caught a cab, and went home.

Entering his comfortable house, he took off his shoes, and headed into the kitchen. Ed wasn't there. He shrugged, and checked the library. Ed wasn't there, either. A little worried now, since he couldn't hear any of the regular sounds that Ed made, he moved quickly and quietly through the house, checking all the rooms downstairs, before checking the rooms upstairs. When he opened the blonde's door, his worries were alleviated. The teen was sleeping on top of the covers of his bed, his stomach in the open.

The colonel shook his head and lifted the boy, surprisingly easily, if one counted the automail limbs. He mentally shrugged, putting the easiness to his own physical training and labors. He drew the covers back and managed to get Ed situated fairly easily. Then, he tucked the boy in. As he did so, he noticed Ed's face again.

Or, to be more precise, his lips. Almost like a moth drawn to a flame, he slowly, slowly drew himself closer to the boy's face.

* * *

AN: And that's where I'd like to leave off. I'm aware that I obviously made a grave error in forgetting to put a pairing or a warning. I apologize. I swear I didn't mean to do it! Anyways, now I'd like to now take a vote from readers[ if I still have any left after that blunder, anyways. Please state in which direction you'd like this story to go. I've left off in this chapter at neutral part- Ed could wake and become angry, or he could remain asleep and eventually fall for the colonel. There's several different things I could do, but I'd mainly like to know whether you, as the reader, would like this to remain as a parental Roy story, or if you'd rather that it became a Roy/Ed slash(yaoi) fic. (I have NO idea if I used slash correctly, but I'm assuming it means yaoi/yuri.) 

I know that this chapter was obviously late. I apologize for that as well. I was trying to figure out what to do when I found that I'd attracted some of the wrong readers, through no fault of their own.

Anyways, I'll check on the votes in about three or four days- then I'll get to work on the next chapter, and HOPEFULLY have it out before the end of the week. Thanks for all/any of your support!

NOTE: If an apology isn't enough, I'll do one-shots of your choice in an anime/manga that I've read or seen as well. It might be a stupid move, but I DID do something wrong, so it'll be another part of my apology. A pain in the butt, and work to add to school work for certain, but it's my own fault, ne?


	16. Missed

Just as he was about to connect with the younger teen's lips, the clock alarm went off, successfully destroying the moment, and bringing him to his senses. _What in the hell!?_ he thought, a tad worried. He was certainly freaked out over what he'd been attempting to do. Seeing the boy stir, he winced and ran from the room, pausing only to shut the door, and hid within his own room.

_What am I _doing?!_ He's too young!_ he thought to himself, irked. _I don't even know if he's gay, much less interested in me!_ He sighed, before heading to his private bathroom. There, he splashed his face with water, and toweled himself try, before changing his clothes.

Irked, he headed for the kitchen, where he heard the clatter of pots and pans, signifying that Ed had started on dinner. He pasted his usual smirk on his face, and entered.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, looking for a subject to speak about. As it was, he was curious, but it was mostly to keep the boy talking, just in case he noticed that he was a tad uncomfortable. Ed was clever like that, so he didn't doubt that he'd figure it out anyways, but whatever worked worked.

Ed half-turned to respond, since he was currently stirring the soup he was warming on the stove. "It was okay. I took a long nap, though."

"Like a cat." Roy muttered, before cinching his mouth shut.

Ed gave him a strange look before shrugging. "You?"

"Too much of a goddamned workload." Roy groaned. "They don't know the meaning of life."

Ed grinned, rambunctiously. "Is that so? It's not just that a certain someone took leave for god knows how long and ended up with a pile of unattended work?"

"Oh, come on! I had most of that done a week ago!" Roy complained good-naturedly.

"It took you a week?" Ed asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Aw, come on!" Roy whined, giving the boy a doleful look. "I'm still human, you know!"

The blonde shook his head in amusement as he turned the heat off. "Sure you are, Roy, sure you are. We both know you like to think of yourself as something more. Anyways, go get the bowls. I've already wiped down the table and laid out the silverware."

"Right, right." the raven-haired man nodded. "Anyways, what do you have planned for December?"

Ed blinked. "December? Roy, it's January."

The army-man blinked. "What?"

The teen pointed at a calendar. "Roy, December ended when you came to grab me from Central."

Dumbstruck, Roy only stared. "I missed the ball?"

Ed nodded, almost mischievously. "Yep. And some of the things that happened, I hear, were quite fun."

Morose, Roy dropped his head, letting it land with a sold _thunk_ on the table.

"Goddammit." he muttered. "Goddammit."

Ed laughed.

* * *

AN: I'm aware that this is late, and shorter than usual. I'm sorry! I've got tests coming up, so I've been studying. It's half-days, though, so I'll try to get something up again within the week.

Anyways, the tally mostly calls for parental Roy. I'm thinking that I can make him suppress his "emotions" until he deems Ed is ready. Of course, the suppression and father-figure point is how the story's going to end. Since it was pointed out to me that it would be difficult to switch things up at this part- Roy's made some pretty obvious advances already- that's what I was planning to do. Of course, if anyone's got any alternatives, please let me know. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	17. Preparations

"Hey, I'm heading out!" Ed called, getting his shoes on. He was sitting at the entrance to the large house, next to the shoe rack, attempting to get his shoes on.

Instantly Roy appeared at the entry opening. "Where to?" he asked. Despite the fact that Ed had returned and in one piece, the elder man couldn't help but make sure that he knew where Ed was going, and at all times. He couldn't help it. He didn't want the blonde to disappear again.

"I'm heading to the market. I need to get a couple of things for dinner tonight." Ed responded, standing. He grabbed his coat from the stand- it wasn't his red one, but a new one. A dark-colored coat, that most people wore, opposed to his flamboyantly red coat, with its sigil on the back. Roy subconsciously nodded in approval at the motion. It would get colder before it got warmer since it was still only January.

Then, he made a suggestion. "Hold on a minute. Let me grab my wallet and I'll come with you." He made as if to leave, but Ed protested before he made it out of the blonde's sight.

"I'll be fine, Roy. You're not my Dad. I'm sure I can get there and back without a problem." Ed said, frowning as he admonished the dark-haired man. "It's not like I'll get jumped, and I _can_ take care of myself, contrary to popular belief, it seems."

Roy sighed. "Fine, fine. Get something extra nice, okay? I invited Riza over sometime, and I think I'll make it today."

Ed shrugged. "Fine with me. Any suggestions?"

"Nah. Just whatever you think is nice." the soldier shrugged in return, before watching the blonde close the door behind him. "Come back, safe, alright?"

* * *

"Now I remember why I hate sales." Ed scowled at the crowd of women that had overtaken him. A clerk nearby had suddenly called out that there was a sale, and he'd nearly been trampled in his attempt to get out of the way. 

"I thought that only happened in those television shows they've been showing lately." came a voice. It was quite familiar. Turning, Ed grinned when he saw the owner.

"Hawkeye! Roy says you're coming over for dinner tonight." he said grinning. "Good thing too. It's been a while since I've last seen you. How've you been doing?"

"I've been well, actually." Hawkeye nodded to him. "The colonel still refuses to do his work, though."

Ed chuckled. "Same old man, eh?" He noticed she carried a bag. "You heading somewhere? Or did you just get all that you need, already?"

"I'm done, now." she said, smiling. Then, seeing his curious expression, she supplied an explanation. "It's dog food. For Black Hayate."

Ed nodded, before processing the information. "Black Hayate?" he frowned. "Oh, the dog that everyone was telling me about a while back. You tried to kill him, right?"

Riza frowned. "Is that what they're saying?"

Ed shrugged. "Some of 'em." He stretched, before nearly falling over. Righting himself quickly, he started walking, comfortable when Riza fell in step with him. "The others say you saved the puppy from a meat-eater."

The lieutenant colonel sighed. "Well, I suppose both of those tidbits of information are true. I was training him, since he had a little... _accident_ on the floor. And Havoc was going to eat the poor thing."

Ed laughed out loud, amused. "I figured as much. Everyone's afraid of you and your gun technique."

The woman balked at his words. "I wouldn't say _afraid_, you know. Maybe, they learned a healthy _respect_ for me, but I wouldn't call it fear..."

"I do." Ed said bluntly. "They're pretty much afraid of getting in your way. It's also why they leave that old man to you."

"Oh?" Riza raised a single questioning eyebrow. Ed shrugged. He was one of the few that no longer held the _healthy_ amount of respect for her that the others did- he'd been around her too much. In short she was like a mother. Certainly not one as gentle as his own mother, but she was still a motherly woman.

"What, it's not like it's not true." he said, shrugging. It _was_ true and he'd be damned if he denied it. "Anyways, anything in particular you want for dinner tonight?"

"Anything is fine with me." she smiled down at the too-small-for-his-age boy. "After all, if it's your cooking, it's bound to be delicious." As sad as it was, it was also true. Because he and Al often traveled and were by themselves, he did the cooking. After all, they didn't have the money to eat out every time they went somewhere. As it was, he'd become quite the cook. He wasn't likely to become a five-star chef, but he'd certainly be able to get a well paying, and good job at a restaurant of his choice if he ever decided to go into that field.

"Which reminds me, actually. Ed, Winry said she was coming here." the woman told him seriously. "I've drawn my suspicions about Al, but she'll be here today. I'm picking her up in about an hour or two. I'll bring her to dinner, so get your story together."

Ed froze, eyes wide in shock. "She's... coming...?" He felt numb- almost as if he were watching his body from another person's perspective. "How... did she sound?"

Riza turned to eye him, and softened. "She sounded as if she's been thinking and needs to have a serious talk with you." she told the boy, tousling his hair. "I think it'll be okay."

Ed swallowed, and sighed, forcing himself to at least look calm. Then, he suddenly smirked at Riza. "In that case, if she kills me, you get to deal with the headache of my funeral." he said.

Riza frowned, sighed, then nodded, grinning a bit herself. "_If_ she kills you, then." Ed had calmed down too quickly. Not only that,but Mustang had told her of his worries over the phone. Worries in which Ed had been crying and calling out for forgiveness in his sleep. She took a step forward, reminding Ed that they had a destination to reach.

"Well, I think I'll just go by one last place- I still need to grab a couple of things- and head home to start that dinner." he said, voice cheerful. Riza nodded, slowly. So he wanted to do this on his own. She mentally sighed, before nodding.

"Alright then. What time should we be over by?"

"How does seven sound to you?"

"Sounds perfectly fine. I'll see you then."

"Bye."

She turned onto the street that led to her own home, and because of it, she didn't see the damn break.

Silently, droplets slipped down Ed's face. Quickly, though, he hastily wiped them away before heading back into the main part of the market. Just a couple more things to do and he was done.

* * *

AN: What do you think? I must admit, I'm utterly stuck. I don't know how to end this. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them. Gah. I haven't had writers' block in a while, so... yeah. Anyways, it's getting to its end, isn't it? Well, like I said, suggestions please. I need events to throw into the mix, but right now what I've got is pretty much Winry causing a ruckus at the house with an argument with Ed, causing him to run, which'll make Roy have to think, and since Riza will be there, things will get resolved. I wanna finish this inthe next couple of chapters, so yeah... -sweat- 

Reviews are nice. xP


	18. Closing

Dinner had been a disaster from the start.

The silence that had been dominant through the time that Ed had been cooking held its head high and far out of Ed's reach. The matter was no longer in his hands, and he didn't know what to expect at all. Still, he'd expected Roy or Riza to at least say _something_. Perhaps even make small talk among themselves or whatnot, but he'd had no such luck. He didn't know why they'd taken their sudden vows of silence, but he knew that he had to get away.

The prevailant quiet unnerved him. It felt almost as though he was waiting to be eaten. Like a mouse as it looks up upon a lion as the predator's paw came crashing down, leaving the tiny creature trapped, and with no way out.

Then came the finishing blow.

"Al's dead." There wasn't any emotion incorporated into the voice that she spoke with. There was no calm before the storm. All the clinking noises that had been unnecessarily made to prove that they were eating suddenly stopped, and it was as if the world had turned on its axis as the three waited for Edward's answer.

"I know." was all he said. Quiet, calm. He couldn't help but think the words had come out stronger than he'd thought they would- he'd been sure he was going to choke on them.

The dead anti-noise lasted for a bit longer, before his child hood friend began to demand answers.

"Why? What happened? _How_ did it happen?" Question after question after question- it wasn't long before the only remaining human Elric lost track.

She knew what she was doing. She knew she shouldn't do this to him, but she couldn't help it. The hurt that had been locked inside of her for so long after she'd found out what had happened. The long weeks that she'd been _alone_ with no answers, and no one to turn to for them.

Winry Rockbell wasn't a cruel person. She was a lost person, a teenager in the throes of hurt who wanted to know why her world had broken so thoroughly. While it wasn't as though she couldn't continue her practice as an automail mechanic, a great deal of her life _did_ circulate around the Elric brothers. And she'd found out in some strange roundabout way that the Elric brothers were no longer brothers, but brother. Singular. As in, one of them, while he might have been only half-alive, was dead. As dead a doornail, even.

She'd told no one of her discovery, too shocked and too hurt to think straight. Instead, she'd taken on the entire burden by what she thought was herself. When she began asking question after question, the only real thought that stood out from the others in her mind was: _How could you let me suffer alone?_

Finally, Ed broke. He carefully set his spoon down and patted his mouth with a napkin before standing up, pushing his chair back. He smiled as broadly as he could before briskly turning and walking away from the dinner table. "I'm full now." he said from the doorway, his voice charged with false cheer. "Mustang, it's your turn to do the dishes."

Winry slammed her hand on the table, before standing up herself. "Why are you running away!" she demanded angrily.

But it was too late. The sound of fading, fast-paced footsteps told her that the other teen had already fled. She made to go after him, but Riza grabbed her wrist, nodding to Roy as the older man started after his charge.

As she heard the door slamming once more, she fell back into her chair, eyes becoming glassy with unshed tears. "Why did he run?" she asked the older woman, hurt and confused. "Why?"

* * *

Roy was cursing in his mind. Ed had gotten rather fast, and he'd definitely gotten practice darting through the crowds of people at the market. He accidently let slip a "Damn!" as he nearly barrelled into yet another shopper.

_Where is he...?_ he thought anxiously. He didn't have the slightest idea where the boy had gone, and he knew that with the way things were, there was no way he'd get an answer to _shrimp_ or _shorty_.

Then, his eyes fell upon the butcher's store. He mentally winced when he remembered the incident with the blonde he was searching with. He turned away, casting his eyes upon other, numerous shops. Then a thought struck him.

_Ed probably wouldn't go to the butchers. We both know that._ he mused. _Which means that he probably _did_ go there._ The military man turned around, before making a beeline to the butchery.

"Edward?"

No luck. The boy wasn't there. Roy sighed, before sitting in one of the few chairs that the butchery had for those waiting for their orders of meat.

_God, why do I even care? _he demanded of himself and the being he didn't believe in. He was irked. The boy just _had_ to go and run. "Immature, fricking brat." he cursed. He knew it was a bit immature as well, but it made him feel better, and that's all he cared about.

The thought surprised him and his eyebrows drew together in a frown. "That... can't be right." And the gears in his mind began to whir.

_If I'm so irritated with him and I'm so angry with him... _he thought, before adding another emotion to the list. _And disappointed._

Another frown. _So I'm _not_ in love with him?_ And his world made sense. _Fucking Hughes!_ he scowled, undoubtedly frightening the few people that _had_ entered the butcher's shop.

He guessed that he loved Ed, but he wasn't _in_ love with him. So as a little brother, or even a son. _Fricking Hughes made me think it was different. Dammit._

Then he realized that Ed had probably fled to Hughes. After all, the man was the most father-aura bearing person that any of them knew. Especially when it came to Elicia. Roy winced. _I don't think her friends ever got over the shock of him shooting at them._

* * *

"He's afraid, Winry." Riza said to the younger girl, almost sadly. "And he's hurt. Probably far more upset than you." While she knew that the girl was likely extremely upset, the simple fact that Ed hadn't truly reacted to Al's death yet was obvious. After all, while he might have opened up a tad to Mustang, the truth about the entire story hadn't come out yet.

Winry looked properly ashamed of herself. "But... he... he's not trying to face it..." she wailed, tears coming out. She might have always been able to withhold her feelings and emotions in the light of the brothers' hardships, the pains that she went through existed, and they existed well. But she'd tried to face nearly all of her fears, and even the things that she hated.

"He's a boy." Riza tried to explain. "Men have more difficulty in expressing things in words."

Winry nodded. She remembered the lesson that she and Officer Hughes had exchanged with each other. She'd taught him that words were necessary, and he'd taught her that actions were necessary.

Riza continued her explanation, trying to grasp good words to use to explain things to the younger girl. "Girls can be hurt emotionally and face up to it better because we're girls. It's what we were made for. But boys can't feel things. Boys are made for getting into fights and getting cuts and scrapes and injuries left and right. They're not used to being hurt on the inside."

There was an almost silent pause, and Riza wanted to throw her hands into the air. "And that's it." she ended, feeling a bit idiotic.

"Oh." Winry said. Then, "Oh."

And Riza knew that the message had been received.

"Can you take me to the train station, then, and give him a message from me?"

* * *

"Hughes!" Roy pounded on his long-time friend's door. "Open the damned door! Hughes!" More pounding. Still, when the door suddenly opened, he managed to keep from rapping his friend on the face and breaking his glasses.

"Here for Ed?" the elder man grinned at him.

"Is he here?"

Maes shrugged. "Would you be here if he wasn't?"

Roy took that to mean that Ed was indeed there. "Where is he?"

"Living room. I'll just stay out of your way, then." the man grinned. "Gracia and Elicia are in the kitchen if you need anything. I'll be joining them in about ten minutes or so."

Roy nodded, before heading for his destination.

"Hey."

"What do you want?"

"Shut the hell up and come home already."

Ed glared at him. "Soon."

Roy smirked at him. "When you've finished being a baby, you mean? So in about ten years, maybe?"

The blonde scowled at him. "Shut up. I'll be back soon, so leave me alone."

A little irked, the colonel sighed, running a gloved hand through his hair. "What's wrong?"

"The world." the blonde refused to meet his eyes.

"Ed, that's small." he said bluntly. He vaguely detected a bit of restrained movement, before mentally smirking. Fullmetal was still listening, then, if not carefully. "For someone like my, the world isn't just a problem. It's my enemy. So when you run away from it, it makes you look pretty damned pathetic."

The Elric's shoulders slumped forward, and he suddenly seemed much smaller than before. He didn't say anything.

Roy sighed again, before making his way over to his charge and sitting next to him. Grabbing the teen brusquely, he brought the boy to his chest. "I'll be your support, so cry already. Get it over with."

Ed glared at him through his bangs. "You're not my father."

"Good. I'd rather not be such an asshole." Roy said nonchalantly. He didn't care that he was badmouthing a stranger because it would help him win the boy over. "But I'll happily adopt you."

Ed blinked his large eyes at him, almost owlishly. "What?"

"Be my little brother or something." Mustang shrugged. "We work well enough, don't we?"

The blonde teen was still utterly shocked. He felt numb, and was certain that something in the universe had broken. After all, it was _Roy Mustang_ who stood before him, inviting him to become a family member. _Roy Mustang_, of all people was asking _him_, Edward Elric, to become family!

And right when he'd been about to get emotional and shit too. This had most certainly thrown him for a whirl. He was off-center and completely caught by surprise. He had no idea what to say or do.

"You don't have to be so enthusiastic." Roy drawled out sarcastically. Ed did the first thing that came to mind.

_-thud-_

"OW!" Roy glared at the smaller boy. "That _hurt!_"

"Th-this is all your fault!" Edward cried out, tears very much streaming from his eyes in rivulets. "I _hate _you!"

Roy sighed, feeling a smile creep upon his face as he watched the bawling boy. "I take it that's a yes', then?"

Edward nodded, still bawling and unable to get any words out.

"Come on then, let's get you home."

The blonde became hesitant almost immediately.

The military official rolled his eyes. "It'll be fine. Riza's probably already given her the talk and stuff, so you ought to be fine. Since you still haven't gotten to it yourself, we're going to have a _nice_, _long_, _happy _talk after the ladies leave."

If Ed hadn't known the colonel better, he'd have thought the man was trying to be reassuring. Unfortunately, he _did_ know the colonel better, and that smile _definitely_ promised pain. Lots of it. He _winced_.

* * *

AN: Right, well this ends next chapter. Well, technically this is the end, but there's gotta be some kinda semi-satisfactory ending, right? -sweat- Right. Those who stayed with me, I love you, I love you, I LOVE YOU! Geh. Anyways, feel free to demand a story from me, I guess. A one-shot though, since I've still gotta finish up some of my other stories, perhaps more satisfactorily than this one. Especially with the yaoi run-in. GEH. Okay, well I'll post up the epilogue in about two seconds and it really will be the end. -cries- 


	19. Epilogue

"Ed."

"Ed."

"Eeeeeed."

"Edward?"

"Edward!"

"Jeez."

"Midget?"

"..."

"Okay, not that either."

"Um, lessee..."

"Edward Elric Mustang!"

"Woah, what the hell? Don't call me that! It sounds so weird!" Edward squirmed in his seat, finally responding to Winry's calls.

"Then respond more quickly next time!" Winry scowled at him. "It's your own fault, you know!"

"Ick." Edward made a face. "What do you want?" The two of them hadn't spoken when he'd returned home. Winry had already left, saying that Ed would come to her when he was ready. True to her expectations, Edward had come along not a month later, happily chatting with neighbors and the like.

After a long, long, horribly long, and painful talk, they'd decided that the subject would be dropped and never brought up again, unless it was important. They didn't ignore that Alphonse had existed, however. Rather, they remembered him fondly, but because recognizing his death was a blow to both of them, the agreed to keep that particular level of hurt to themselves. Edward because he still had yet to completely realize that the death hadn't been his fault, and Winry because had damned near _lived_ for the brothers. To find that they weren't plural anymore had nearly devastated her.

"So? How've you been?" Ed asked, almost cautiously.

She smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "It's been alright. I'm learning about different kinds of automail right now, actually."

Edward winced horribly. "Okay, anyways!" he cut her off. Winry was still rather long-winded about automail. 

The girl grinned at him, knowing what he was thinking. "You?"

"Mustang officially adopted me, obviously. Riza and him are planning on getting married at some point. Oh, and it looks like a couple of the higher ups kicked a bunch of buckets, so he might be getting promoted a lot faster than we all thought."

Winry blinked. "What?"

"Well, like I said, I've got an older brother, I might get a sister-in-law, and my brother might get promoted."

Winry couldn't help but blink a few more times. "A few of the higher ups just up and died?" she demanded.

"Yeah, it was all over the news in Central!" he grinned enthusiastically. "Apparently, homunculi aren't immune to ammonia!"

The blonde teenager could feel a really big migraine coming on. As she rubbed at her temples, she inquired, "And they all just died of poisoning, did they?"

"Well, actually it turns out they kinda revert to their original forms when they die, so there were a couple of bugs and tiny lizards and things going around, but it all worked out in the end. Officially, they're all missing in action, anyways."

Winry smacked him. She couldn't help it. What had hit him upside the head as a child anyways? Oh, right. She had.

"And that's something to be happy about?"

"Hell yeah!" he grinned at her. "It means more food and maybe a bigger house! With a guest room! You might be able to visit now, since if we get a bigger house, it'll have to have a guest room!"

"Unbelievable."

The door opened behind them. "Come in, you two. Dinner's ready."

"Yeeeeeees!" Ed punched the air. "Nothing in Central beats what you make, granny!"

Winry only followed after him, shaking her head in amusement. Some things never changed.

* * *

AN: Right. Well, I kinda know that it's a horrible note to end things on, but end they must. I think this is the first multi-chapter I've finished, horrible as it might've been. Still, maybe one day I'll look back on this and smile with pride. Maybe. I think. Anyways, the experience was worth it. Now, I think I'll be able to face my other stories. I know it was a little weird, but you dealt with me anyways. Thank you so much for that. -bawls-

Nonetheless, I won't lie and say that I'll miss writing this. To be honest, it caused quite a headache, through my own stupidity, really. Still, to my hopefully better other stories! Oh, wait, the wine, the wine! -grabs a bottle- 

Jeez, feels like I've got a muse. -evil look- Thank you all again! -grins-


End file.
